Flowing with Oscar cupcake inspiration
In my last post, I mentioned getting ready to celebrate the Oscars (Academy Awards) with my family this Sunday night. I shared my costume ideas (we are all dressing up like nominees or characters from the nominated movies), and now I'm ready to showcase this year's Oscar-inspired "Rawdorable" cupcakes.
Wolfgang Puck usually feeds the celebrities an elaborate meal for the event, so it is no surprise that I'd look to him for ideas. First of all, I plan on making this Kale Salad with Date Compote from his menu posted on the Today Show website, but I'd also like to serve one of his sweet treats. His gold-coated chocolate statuettes are a signature topper for his decadent chocolate molten cake. Since I can't find my edible gold leaf (I think I still have some somewhere), I got creative with some piped date paste (dates soaked overnight and then blended into a paste) on top of a Rawdorable Chocolate Molten Lava Upside Down Cupcake. Here's how I made it:
Rawdorable
Chocolate Molten Lava
Upside Down Cupcake
*Makes one decadent upside down cupcake
- 1/8 cup almonds
- 1/8 cup almond pulp (leftover from making fresh almond milk) or more almonds
- 1/8 cup hazelnuts
- 1/8 cup walnuts
- 2 Tbsps. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. date paste (dates soaked overnight and then blended into a paste)
- 1/2 Tbsp. "Butterdream" or coconut cream (leave a can of coconut milk in the fridge over night and the cream will separate at the top)
- 1/4 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- dash of sea salt
- *quick and easy chocolate icing (cocoa powder mixed with pure maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt to create a yummy chocolate sauce) for filling
- *a sprinkling of finely ground freeze-dried pineapple "sparkles" for garnish
- *more date paste to pipe an Oscar statuette on top
In
a mini food processor or blender, grind the almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and cocoa
powder into a flour-like consistency, and transfer the "flour" to a
bowl.
Next,
add the date paste, "butterdream," apple cider vinegar, vanilla and
sea salt. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep
the "batter" fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp
that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if
you desire).
Form the batter into a cupcake shape (with the help of a reusable silicone liner or small ramekin), leaving a melon ball size valley in the center and a small amount to the side to top it off.
Fill the cupcake with quick and easy chocolate icing (cocoa powder mixed with pure maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt to create a yummy chocolate sauce).
Top the filled cupcake with the excess "batter." Carefully blend in the seams.
Place the cupcake in the fridge to set for about an hour. When ready to serve, invert the cupcake on a plate and remove the silicone liner. Decorate with a sprinkling of finely ground freeze-dried pineapple "sparkles" and a piped date paste Oscar statuette (or stars would be nice, too).
*This chocolate molten lava upside down cupcake is also yummy when warmed in a dehydrator before serving. It makes it more authentic and creates a "crust" on the outside of the cake. So good!
~*~*~
Next up is a movie-themed Rawdorable cupcake snack. It's styled and tastes similar to popcorn. Here's how it's done:
Rawdorable
"Popcorn" Cupcake
*Makes one cupcake styled and flavored similar to popcorn
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
- 1 Tbsp. coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first and use a towel to absorb the excess moisture)
- 1 Tbsp. date paste (dates soaked overnight and then blended into a paste)
- drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- sea salt, to taste (remember this should taste similar to popcorn)
- *"Butterdream" for piping "popcorn" on top of the finished cupcake
- *some more fresh corn kernels for garnish (placed in centers of the "butterdream" frosting, like "popped kernels")
In
a mini food processor or blender, grind the almonds, macadamia nuts and coconut flour into a flour-like consistency (you can also substitute some
of the almonds for leftover nut pulp from making nutmilk to result in a
lighter cake texture).
Add the corn and process to combine. Transfer the "flour" to a bowl.
Next,
add the date paste, olive oil, vanilla, and sea salt. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep the "batter"
fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it
requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).
Form
the batter into a cupcake shape, using a reusable silicone liner or small ramekin (you can also
form the batter into 2 or 3 mini cupcakes).
Frost the cupcake(s) with
piped "Butterdream" icing to look like "popcorn."
Then, add some corn kernels to the centers to complete the look (I actually split them as if they had been popped and rolled them in leftover cupcake crumbs before adding them to the iced cupcake). Yum!
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Stiletto Cupcake
24 Carrot Golden Cupcake 
